Latch for gates and the like



April 1933- v. w. NEILSON ET AL 1,904,291

LATCH FOR GATES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 21, 1930 )4 I16 Ns/Ls on, at C2 ACE/1.50M,

. in the closed position;

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 ,vrvmfn iinrr'son ts stand-inc]: c, vnrLsoiv,,or zrnoim: cnnnx, o'rAir" I Lemon magearrs 'm mnm m' i f Application filed. January 21;- 1930. Seria1 No." 422,311}

This invention relates to alatchfor-gates and the like, and more particularly for farm gates; 2' Its principal objects are to provide alatch which shall:

r1 :First; Holdla gate securelyin the closed position.

:Secohd. Be 'proo f against manipulation by farm animals, such as horses;

- Third.- Be 5 semi-automatic ;1I1""1l3S action and allow: a gate to swing in eitherdirection.

Four-the Be inexpensiveg -r Fifth. Be simple,gdurable and notilikely to t. out oforderiv: 1 g 0: In attaining/these Lobjects; we provide preferably a bracke'thaving two l'egsiat substantially right angles to each other,-one of thezlegs being fastened to a post while the other leg serves as asupport'for' one or more pivoted spring-pressed latch members. .2 The 9 latch members are so pivoted that theyniay be lifted slightly by the operator; thus CllS- V engaging the latch from its retaining lug, thereby releasing-the gate and 'allowing it tobe pushed openw 2 K V. To.openthe gate, the latch is moved in substantially a horizontal plane and is swung to substantiallyfa position where the gate'eleaves it freely behind ready to again i be picked up bythe gate inthe latters return'" movement, whereby the iatclr is automatically flipped :back "into the locked p sitioni: W In what We term the single latch, a'single latfchmember is used which allows gate to swing'only to one side of'ithe-post, while 7 inf-the multi'p'le latch two latches are used whereby the gatemay be swungto both'sides ofthepost;

' The features of-this invention for which ithe protection of Letters Patentisdesired,

up'ed intheclaims con- V D I p v v a 1 1 j 1 lug 28 and 1SpIBVented'fIOIIlflCCldBIltiLlldlS- are collectively gro ns p cification; y a

Inthe'drawing I Fig.1 representsa plan of thesingle latch Fig.2,- an elevation thereof-,viewedfin direction of the arrow '2, Fig."1; T

Fig. '3,- a plan of the multiple latch; one

I of the latches being-partially open andbro kenaway toshow a part underneath;

Fig. it, an elevation viewed in the direction ofiarrow 4 in Fig; 3; the latch being in the closed position; 5 Figs.5 andj6, views in open positions; v 1

';..Fig.- 7;, a plan, drawn to 1a reduced :scale, sofa latch of modified construction and Fig. 8,; an elevation viewed 'in' the direc tio11 ofarr0\W8, Fig.7. V

a Referring to the drawing, F 1, 2-and the numeral/L10" indicates a bracket which may: be composed-r of i a; substantially horimaybe a bolt 17, this bolti at the same time passing through the heel portion 21 0f an other L-shaped member 18 Whose stem is indicatediat 19' and whose bar at 20. The L- sh'apedmembe'r 18 forms a latchand'is mov-s able 1n the planeiof the shelf '12, being pressed yieldingly flthereagainst by a compression sprln'g 24: which may react against the washer 25held in place by a nut 26.:

apartrfrom each other and constituteyjaws between which a gate 23, at its front'or free end; 1s normally confined." The gate 23 is hinged a's usualat its' oppositeend (not shown). n Y

In-ethe closedpositionfo'f; the latch-,Y'the outer end 27ofthe latch stem 19 may extend beyond the .I-bar 16 0f the shelf, so as to be convenientlyfgr'asped by anyone operating the,gate. In this position, the stem 1'9 of the latchissecurely :held'behind the retaining engagement due to the: pressure exerted by spring 24., s,

1 When! it is desired 1 to open the gate,

latch'end 27 is lifted somewhat higher than perspective'of'the single and 'Inu ltiplelatches, respectively, in

. Asshown,the'barsj16and 20 are spaced substantially the position indicated in Fig. 5, thus permitting the gate to swing open. In closing, the gate swings back, striking the inner edge of the stem 19 somewhat in the nanner indicated by the arrow 30. The momentum of the gate causes the latch to be flipped back intothe closed position, the bar 20 having meanwhile acted as a follower to the gate until it is again secured in the closed position. I V

If desired, the latch 18 may be placed below the shelf 12, as indicated by the dotted lines 181 in Fig. 5, permitting the latch to operate in a manner similartothat described with the exception that in the closed position of the latch, the stem 19 will be engaged by-the depending retaining lug 31 instead of the retaining lug 28 as previously described. In this case the latch is depressed in opening instead of being lifted.

The double acting lock illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 6 functions'ingeneral very much like the single acting lock just described. However, instead of having only one latch, the double acting lock has two latches as indicated M332 and 34. Both these latches are pivoted by means of'bolts; 35 and 35 -1 respectively, to the shelf-member 36 which is substantially integral with a bracket member or foot '38 secured to a post 39by means o'f'bolts 40, and are held in contact with the respective faces thereof bymeans of the compression-springs37. The shelf 36 in this case, has the plain ends41.

The bolts 35 and35-1 extend in opposite directions. and the stems 42 and 44 of the latches 32 .and 34 respectively, have their outer ends bent up to form the ears 45's'o as to clear the heads of the bolts 35 and 35-1 when the latches'are closed. When the latch 32 is closed, it-is engaged by the retaining lug- 46,.and similarly, the latch 34 when closed, is engaged by the retaining lug 47, the retaining lugs 46 and 47 being caused to slip into the openings 48 and 49 defined respectively in the stems 42 and 44.

wxBy opening the latch '32, the gate 50 is allowed toswing in the direction of the arrow Y51, and when thelatch 341s opened the gate is allowed to swing in the opposite direction. Whichever latch is opened is served by the bar of the other latch as an abutment stop for the gate. When either latch isopen, the other latch in conjunction with. the shelf portion 36 may be assumed to constitute: the equivalent of the L-shaped shelf portion .12 ofthe; single latch. t The modified construction illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 may be used when two swinging gates'meet each other intermediate the postsvto which they are hinged; Here, the.

front-stiles 52 and 53 of two gates meet each otherso as to be substantially adjacentand are held in the closed position by the curved arms 54 and 56-Which encircle or embrace one of, the stiles. These arms may have the stems 59 and and be pivoted at 57 and 58 respectively. The arm 54 and the stem 59 form one latch while the arm. 56 and the stem 60 form the other latch. The locking 7 acting lock previously described. I If desired, the bracket 61 may carry the integrallugs 62 which may be rigidly se cured to the stile 52 by means of pins 63.

While a specific embodiment of our invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood, that various changes could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Having fully described our invention what we claim is:

1. A gate latch, including in combination, two latch members disposed inmutually reversed relation toeach other, said latch members having arms curving mutually inward to provide a gate-retaining space, operating stems extending from said, curved arms, a bracket disposed to support said latch members, pivots extending throughxsaid latch members and said bracket, said pivots located substantially at the juncture between said arms and said stems, and retaininglugsnormally extending through said stems, whereby said arms are held in 'a locked position relatively to said gate. t v r 2. A gate latch, including in combination, a bracket having a shelf, a stop abutment projecting .from said shelf, a latch member having a gateengaging bar spaced apartfrom and positioned in opposition to said step abutment, a stem substantially integral with said gate-engaging bar, a pivot member associated with said shelf and said latch member, a spring operative to press said latch member and said shelf together, and a retaining lug projecting from said shelf, said retaining lug being normally in front of said stem.

3. The combination with a supporting member having a shelf portion, of two 'L- shaped latch members disposed in mutually reversed relation to each other upon said shelf portion, pivots extending through said shelf portion and the .heels of. the respective L- shaped latch members, said pivot-s extending from the plane of said shelf portion in opposite directions, and springs on said pivots,

said springs being operative topress the respective latch members against the said shelf portion. I f

4. The combination with a supporting member having a shelf portion, of two L- shaped latch members having stems disposed in mutually reversedrelation to each other upon said shelf portion, pivots extending through said shelf portion and through the heels of the respective L-shaped latch members, and offset ears extending from said stems, said offset ears being disposed to clear protruding portions of said pivots. I

5. A latch for gates and the like, including: 'in combination, a. bracket having a substantially L-shaped shelf,a substantially L-shaped latch member having its heel pivoted to the stem of said L-shaped shelf so that the bar of he L-shaped shelf shall be positioned oppo-" site the bar of said L-shapedlatch member, said shelf and said latch member normally having a surface of contact in common, but being separable from each other in a direction transverse to said common surface, and a retaining lug disposed to normally hold said latch member in engagement with said shelf against angular displacement around the pivot, but tov allow angular displacement around said pivot when said latch member is separated from the plane of said shelf a predetermined distance. 7

6. A latch for gates and the like, including in combination, a bracket having a substantially L-shaped shelf, an attaching lug eX- tending from said shelf substantially transverse to the plane thereof, an L-shaped latch member having its heel pivoted adjacent the 33 stem extremity of said L-shaped shelf, said shelf and said latch member normally having i a surface of contact'in common, but being separable from each other in a direction transverse to said commonsurface', and a retaining lug disposed to normally hold said latch member in engagement with said shelf against angular displacement around. the pivot, but to allow angular displacement around said pivot when said latch member is separated from the plane of said shelf a predetermined distance. 7 7. A latch for gates and the like, including 5 in combination, a bracket having a shelf member, an L-shaped latch member having its heel pivoted to said shelf member at one end thereof, another L-shaped latch member having its heel pivoted to the opposite end of said shelf member so as to provide a gate-retaining space between the bars-of said latch [13 members, said shelf and saidlatch members normally having a surface of contact in common, but being separable from'each other in a direction transverseto said common surface, and retaining lugs disposed to normally hold said latch members in engagement with said shelf against angular, displacement around the pivot, but to allow angular displacement around said pivot when said latch members are separated from theplane of said shelf a predetermined distance. In testimony whereof, we sign our names hereto.

VIVIAN. W. NEILSON. -CLARENCE C. NEILSON. 

